It is official – Downtown Disney is getting a makeover. Again. And maybe this one will happen. 🙂

It’s been rumored for a few weeks after some details leaked, but the Downtown Disney area will receive a major overhaul that will include a new name (“Disney Springs”), new theme (a town that grew up around a spring), new areas (“Town Center”, between West Side and Marketplace, and “The Landing”, a renamed Pleasure Island), and new parking garages at either end.

The Town Center will be VERY new, taking over the current area between the Marketplace and West Side areas by expanding into the existing parking area (which will be made up for by the two parking garages, which will hopefully overall increase parking) and provide better flow between the two existing shopping areas, a long-standing problem that led to the opening of Pleasure Island to the public and eventually to the clubs downfall. Don’t expect this to mean a return of the clubs, though…although there is still some hope that something make come back. But PI, or The Landing now, will not return to charged admissions again.

Over two years ago, Disney announced and showed concept art for “Hyperion Wharf”, a rename/retheme of Pleasure Island. After tearing down a couple buildings and planting grass, however, the project was canceled.

In 2006, Disney announced Flamingo Crossings, a new shopping/entertainment district that was to be located at the end of Western Way at the extreme western edge of the property along Route 429, to be filled with third party retailers, restaurants, etc. and some hoped would become a “Pleasure Island 2.0”. But aside from a lot of grading work of the land, nothing happened, although there is still a web site for it.